Countdown
by PointlessKnife
Summary: Father lost. The story ended. But anything is possible, especially when you have the powers of God. Father, in one last, desperate attempt to survive, flees to the past, and unwittingly drags everyone back with him. Life becomes a race against the clock to stop plans and save lives, before it's too late and everything is lost. Time travel story.
1. Chapter 1

Father was losing. Badly.

Pain... Everything was slipping. The power. The power he had _craved_ for so long burned, but he could handle that.

But his control was slipping. His _hopes_ were slipping.

The victory he always _knew_ was just around the corner, the victory he had planned for _years_ was slipping further and further away.

Now, a human alchemist with burning eyes was beating him. Even with his shaky grasp on the power, this _shouldn't be possible_!

Everything was falling out of place with each punch.

He was going to lose here. He was going to _die_ here- be forced back into the emptiness of the gate, forever alone and lost in the dark sea of knowledge. And he knew it. If he tried to fight, tried to destroy the mortals with his -because it was his, even if he was about to lose it- divine power, then he would die. That would be his fate.

But who said anything about fighting? A God was capable of anything. And this God was not above running away.

He was, however, going to run away and get away. God were capable of anything and everything.

With a smirk, and a sudden tug on the power eating away at him, there was a flash, then everything was gone.

Ready to start all over again.

* * *

When Ed woke up and saw his mother's face, he thought it was a nightmare. She looked concerned, and it only got worse as he scrambled away. "Edward?" She asked softly, voice just as gentle as he remembered.

But he was just waiting. He could already hear the hissing voice of that thing.

 _"Why did you leave me here like this?"_

 _"Please, put me back together."_

 _"It hurts."_

 _"Fix me."_

He didn't remember falling asleep... but he was scared, everything was hazy when he tried to think back, because _she_ was right there, asking questions, but he wasn't hearing what she said, he was hearing the hissing voice, the rasping breath, of the thing that lurked in his nightmares.

"Edward, are you alright?"

 _"Why... You did this. It's_ your _fault!"_

"I'm sorry." He whimpered, edging away, waiting to see that... that thing's face instead. The glowing eyes, the gasping breath.

"What's wrong?"

 _"Fix me. Please, don't leave me like this."_

"I... I didn't want to. N-not like that!" The young boy cried, as he continued to scramble away.

Trisha Elric was very worried now. Both her oldest son and husband had randomly collapsed that morning, with no given reason. Her husband had looked at her like he'd seen a ghost, pinched himself then said something very rude. Which Alphonse had heard.

But his reaction was in no way as worrying as this. Why was her son _scared_? What was causing it? Why had he collapsed?

All while she was wondering this, she was attempting to get him to calm down, with no such luck... Surely he wasn't scared... of her, right?

 _What was going on?_

Then Hohenheim stepped in. He knelt down in front of Ed and forced the boy to look at him.

"Edward. It's not a nightmare. You're fine." He said calmly, and _that_ had the boy's focus.

"But... But mum." He whispered.

"No. Think rationally. What's the last thing you remember?" Hohenheim said gently. Trisha was stunned. She knew Hohenheim was ... a little withdrawn due to the situation concerning him being a Philosopher's Stone, so she'd thought that he would be a little awkward around his sons, as he always was.

But here he was, succeeding where she had failed. Now she was confused, worried and feeling slightly sick. Too much had happened in one day, but Hohenheim was handling it well.

Or not, because Edward started crying, and it broke her heart to hear his tiny sobs.

"Alphonse... Then Father. I was beating him up..." Ed's voice wavered as he said his brother's name. Trisha wondered if this was a nightmare... But who was this 'Father'? And Hohenheim was nodding...

What was this?

"Well, Father was a God, remember?" Hohenheim said slowly, which wasn't really out of place considering that he was talking to a child.

"Shut up bastard. I know." Ed snapped, and Trisha covered her mouth. She didn't know that her son knew language like that. Where had he learned it? When?

"I still don't understand how you can call your own father that..." Hohenheim mumbled.

"Add 'complete failure of a' in front of 'father', then you've got it. Anyway, back on topic." Ed responded with more anger than her young son had ever possessed. Well, she thought so, but her eyes and ears weren't lying to her.

Hohenheim blinked, not fazed at all by the language and hatred, and continued. "Well, he probably knew that you were about to finish him off, and tried to escape..."

Trisha didn't know that her son had the memories and skills of the Fullmetal Alchemist, that he was a genius. So she was completely lost when he groaned.

"What did he do?" Ed asked, sounding torn between hope, something desperate and broken, and horror.

"Please tell me it's not the impossible option." He added as an afterthought.

"He had the power of a God, nothing was impossible." Hohenheim muttered.

"I heard enough of that from Greed. Now what did he do?" _Greed? Who's that?_

"I think he travelled through time." Hohenheim whispered, and Ed suddenly leapt upwards.

"So it wasn't a nightmare? Then Al! Al isn't... he didn't..." Ed trailed off, frantically wiping his eyes.

"Yes. And speaking of people being alive..." Hohenheim said, as though he was just realising it for himself.

They both turned slowly, having just remembered that Trisha was still in the room.

She fainted.

* * *

While Hohenheim and Ed were helping Trisha, after a good five minutes of pure panic, they argued.

"What if he's killing everyone?" Ed demanded furiously, when Hohenheim said it would be best to lay low.

"You'd feel it." Hohenheim said flatly. "No, I think that last gamble cost him, and I think that he lost his power, that it cost him his control." He mumbled thoughtfully. "I'm not sure if you noticed but his control was slipping, badly. I think this stunt cost him everything."

Ed blinked. He hadn't noticed.

He'd been hurting too much to care.

* * *

"Hey Al, are you okay?" Ed asked, running over, and nearly collapsing with relief because _Al was safe_. He was _whole_ , human, not trapped in a body that couldn't cry, couldn't feel warmth... couldn't keep his soul _safe_.

He wasn't in the gate, he wasn't trapped. He was free, just like he deserved, and due to some horrible, or wonderful twist of fate, they could save _everyone_.

Ed couldn't help it, he began to hope.

"Brother? Why did you faint earlier?" Al was clueless. He didn't remember... anything.

"Hey Al, what do you think of homunculi?" Ed asked desperately, hoping that the Al he knew wasn't gone... that the brother he had trusted in hadn't been lost forever to the white space of the gate.

"They're not real, and a really complicated concept. Why?" Al blinked, and every single hope Ed had crumbled and died. _If he doesn't remember... was Al, my Al, dead?_

* * *

"I had the strangest dream." Trisha groaned as she woke up.

"Are you okay?" Ed asked, and if Trisha had been more awake, more attentive, she would've noticed that he was _too_ desperate, _too_ scared.

"I'm fine, no need to worry, see?" Trisha smiled, trying to reassure her sons, as Al was also worriedly clutching her hand.

Hohenheim was holding Alphonse's other hand, and Ed was huddled away from the both of them, haunted eyes staring at his brother like he expected someone else.

To add to the constant drama of the day, just as Trisha was about to speak again, there was a sudden, frantic knock at the door.

The whole family blinked then all rushed to answer the door. The worried face of Sarah Rockbell staring back at them.

"I'm sorry, but have you seen Winry? She fainted earlier then ran off once she woke up, and we haven't been able to find her anywhere!" The poor woman was nearly hysterical.

 _Winry fainted? What? Does she remember too?_

Ed's eyes widened and he raced off, ignoring the worried calls of his family behind him.


	2. Chapter 2

Ed found Winry in the graveyard. Her small form was huddled in an empty patch amongst the looming graves. It was wild and overgrown now, but in the future it held two neat graves.

Graves that were constantly visited, with so many things left unsaid. Graves that cast long shadows on the dry grass. Two, cold graves that could never fill the gap that Winry's parents had left behind.

No, freezing statues could never replace the void etched by Scar. The empty air in their place didn't magically get rid of the urge to punch Scar until he was kneeling in front of graves- that weren't _real,_ not yet, _not again_ \- saying the words that Ed had been unable to say so, so many times.

 _I'm sorry._

"Winry?" Ed asked gently, edging forwards slowly. _Does she really remember? How? She wasn't there when Father was fighting... She wasn't a sacrifice!_

"Ed? What's going on?" Her voice was hardly more than a whisper. Broken.

"I'm not sure, Winry. I think we're in the past. It was something Father did." Ed said in a soft tone, hating himself. _I failed at keeping her uninvolved, now she's been dragged into this mess, and she's crying._

"Y-you remember? It wasn't all a dream?" She asked, her voice full of hope. Because her parents were alive. Everyone was alive.

Being in a time before tragedy had ripped them all into small pieces, and left them to put themselves back together into something not quite whole, but not quite broken- it really was like a dream.

"Yeah. Like I said, it was something Father did." Ed repeated, not sure what to say, because he couldn't escape from the guilt, couldn't escape from the blame.

"Father? The one who was trying to make a Philosopher's Stone?" She asked, eyes impossibly large.

"Yeah, him. He attained the powers of God and used it to escape... We were winning, and he knew it, so he ran... and apparently dragged us along too." Ed explained awkwardly. "Are you okay?" He asked uncertainly.

She shook her head slowly, so as he had done in the North, he put his arm around her and held her close, because there was nothing he could say, no more words.

Because how could you describe seeing a ghost? Seeing the smile of someone you lost long ago, but it still hurt to remember.

"What about you?" She whispered after a long silence. The sky had faded into the stillness of twilight, and other than the faint chirping of insects, everything was silent.

"I... I'll be okay." Ed decided, trying not to flinch at the memory of the thing's dead eyes, its shuddering arm falling to the ground.

"Hey Ed, can you tell me what's going on? What happened? It's not fair to keep me in the dark. Not now. So don't even try." Winry asked, with a hint of her usual fire.

"Yeah, trying to keep you safe backfired." Ed laughed without humour. "Where do I start?"

* * *

By the time he finished talking, it was dark, and the sky was littered with stars. Ed had left out certain delicate details, such as exactly what happened in the mine, his fight with Pride, and Al... The memories were too fresh, or too painful. Not to mention he wasn't sure how this whole time travel thing had effected his lifespan, whether it was back to normal or whether it was still shortened.

"I see..." Winry's voice was quiet again, she was deep in thought. Ed couldn't blame her, she'd just been told about the gate, about the sacrifices, all the half truths and lies had been stripped away, leaving only the harsh, bitter reality.

"So where's Al? I figured he'd be here with you. In his body again. He must be so happy." He could tell from her tone that she was smiling.

Ed flinched, he couldn't help it.

 _"You'd better win... Big brother..."_

"Al... He doesn't remember." Ed said slowly, trying desperately not to remember the way the light had faded from the armour, brilliant red eyes dimming, leaving a shell behind. Only the lonely blood seal had remained.

"What? But how?" Winry gasped. Ed stared at his arm... It was flesh. It was like he'd never lost it, it was Alphonse's -his Al's- sacrifice was for nothing.

"He was an idiot, that's how." Ed muttered, eyes burning. _You idiot. You left me behind._

"What did he do?" She asked, and for a second, Ed heard his own worry reflected.

"Equivalent exchange. He traded his soul for my arm, he returned to his body in the gate." Ed said hollowly, still feeling alone. He shouldn't- he knew he was being selfish. His brother was here, he was alive, whole. He was innocent and free.

He had never been dragged into his older brother's mistakes.

But he didn't remember. The bond between brothers had been ripped apart, with one whole, and one looking for something that didn't exist. Not aynymore.

And here he was, wishing for that bond back, even though it meant suffering, because they'd _been together_ , they'd always had each other.

"It's okay. He's safe now, and you're still brothers." Winry whispered reassuringly, like she knew what he was thinking.

"Hughes was the best at this comforting stuff." Ed said without thinking, then froze.

"He'll still be alive!" She gasped, eyes wide. Hughes' death had hit everyone hard, and Ed felt sick as he remembered Envy's bragging, the smile that had twisted across his face.

"I bet that the Colonel is probably in shock right now." Ed smirked, imagining the man's reaction.

"Come on, we should get back, they're probably worried about us." Ed said, and wondered if he, if _they_ , would ever get used to seeing the faces that were waiting for them again.

* * *

Hohenheim had covered for them. It had meant that they had the time they needed to talk, and Ed thanked him for it, while trying not to sound bitter, because Hohenheim had never seemed to have time for his family before.

Winry had smiled as she left, dragged away by worried parents, exactly how she remembered, from her nightmares, from her dreams.

It seemed to be a step in the right direction.

* * *

Roy groaned as he opened his eyes. The first thing that he noticed was the light. He could _see_! There were colours, and they were bright, and _new_. Even a short time in that suffocating darkness had made him scared, made him useless. Made him weak.

Roy was only more certain that he was dreaming when he saw the face of Maes Hughes staring at him. Granted the face was much younger than the last time he'd seen his friend. His _real_ best friend, not his murderer making a sick joke out of his face.

Not the mask with the dead eyes, the twisted grin, not the face used by thing that he could never forgive. Not the thing that made him lose his best friend in the first place.

"You know, I think it's the heat. Some Flame Alchemist you are." Hughes joked. Roy absently wondered if you could dream once you were knocked out. Because this wasn't real, it _couldn't_ be real.

He was either dead, and this was about to turn into exactly the kind of hell he deserved, or knoked out from one of the bursts of raw power from Father, and was about to wake up to pain. Pain, and death and darkness.

This was too real, too far away from what he knew.

"And some woman passed out too.. Hawkeye, I think her name was..." Hughes continued happily, and he looked startled when Roy shot up.

"Did you just say Hawkeye?" He demanded, trying to think about how real the sudden rush of feelings were. Sorrow, regret, and relief. _Hawkeye? Riza's here!_

"Yeah, you know her or something?" Hughes asked, seeming completely lost.

"Yes. Can I see her?" Roy asked impatiently. _I want to see her at least once before I wake up to darkness._

"Sure, she's literally just in the next room. How do you know her?" Hughes asked as Roy marched towards the door.

He flung open the door to the other hospital room, and blinked as he saw that she saw standing literally on the other side of the door.

Like Hughes, she looked far younger than he remembered. Her eyes were wide, shocked. It was so far from her usual emotionless mask, which kept her thoughts carefully out of sight, so only she would have to remember the colour red every time she pulled the trigger.

"Your hair." He said stupidly. "It's short again."

"You can see?" She gasped, voice full of wonder.

"Wait, you remember too?" Roy blurted, and watched with horror slowly weighing down his stomach.

 _What... What_ is _this?_

He thought of Hughes' beaming face as he waved a photo around, the picture nothing but smiles. Nothing but cheer. Nothing but family.

 _She remembers too?_

He thought of the same family, with the girl's face streaked with tears as she screamed, begged, pleaded for them not to bury her father. The shadows in his wife's eyes, her muffled sobs.

 _Nothing is impossible._

He thought of Envy laughing with that same woman's face, smirk twisting her gentle features. Stolen features. Stolen life.

Life that was standing so close, breathing. Not cold and stone, burried stiff under layers and layers or dirt.

He'd hear the words Roy had been choking on after his death. He'd live to see his family again. But... it was all a dream right?

Riza's eyes were brimming with tears. She remembered. It wasn't just him. They were together. With people that had died, people that they'd lost. It was impossible... but _nothing was impossible_.

It was... It _couldn't_ be...

 _It can't be... He's dead... This can't be- is it real?_


	3. Chapter 3

"Hey Edward?" Winry asked suddenly as the three of them were walking to their village's tiny school.

Edward had taken to drawing transmutation circles during school, having forgotten how boring it was.

What he hadn't noticed was that Winry had taken to staring at them, and had slowly been coming to a desicion.

Tired of being left behind, tired of the waiting and tired of the _lonliness_ and the _ache_.

She was done with watching the Elric brothers walking away, tired of watching Edward walk away, so this time, she was determined to walk beside them.

"I was, uh, wondering if you could teach me alchemy?" She asked, not meeting his questioning gaze.

There was a long silence, where Al stared at her with _innocent_ eyes, a curious gaze, a young gaze... Something Winry hadn't seen for a long time, because both of them had suffered so much, grown up too fast.

Now one of them was free, everything that he had been through forgotten, gone, and the distance between them was daunting.

It was eating Ed up from the inside, she could see the guilt, see the pain in his eyes.

Even then, when Al was curious, surprised, Ed was calculating. He looked like he _understood_ , being left behind...

"Sure, why not. Sit with me and Al in the back today, we'll get you started on the basics. That good with you?" Ed shrugged after a pause.

"It'll be fun!" Al said encouragingly.

"That's fine with me." Winry beamed. _No more being left behind!_

She ran to catch up to the brothers, and the three walked side by side, casting long shadows on the path behind them.

* * *

"So Winry, a circle is the first part of any transmutation-"

"Alphonse? Edward? Winry? Why are are you talking in class?" Thier teacher hissed.

"Learning some alchemy." Ed chirped, so _innocently_ , so _brightly_ that it was almost possible to believe that he was a child someone who _knew_ would look him in the eye, and see the shadows, see the pain. See the fear and the anger.

Then the illusion would be destroyed. The worst of it was that Winry could see how hard he was trying.

"You're supposed to be learning maths." Their teacher said sternly.

The three children looked at each other and shrugged.

"But it's boring!" They chorused sweetly. The teacher's frown suddenly turned scary.

"Well tough." She growled, and flung the chalk she was using to write with at them.

It was simple, just a light punishment, actually very common in schools in Reesembool, but someone who had spent years in the military wouldn't see it like that- couldn't see it like that.

And someone who sold their soul to the military, someone who had been fighting for so long didn't know how to stop.

It was automatic. It was who he was. The Fullmetal Alchemist.

* * *

Ed's eyes widened as he saw the projectile coming towards them. How many times had someone tried to shoot him, how many times had he nearly died?

Normally the bullets would bounce of Al, but he was _fixed_. He was flesh and bone, he was free. He was vulnerable.

He could die...

Then Edward would be alone again...

Winry could die...

Suddenly he saw Scar leaning over her, hand streched out, towards her terrified, pale face, ready to finish what he started with the two doctors.

Too many enemies. Too many faces... Too many threats...

Ed clapped his hands, working half on instinct, half on adrenaline, and the desks and the floor rose together, and twisted into a wall.

As he clapped, and a brilliant light flashed like electricity over the wall, he felt something far away frown.

In that one second he could feel the anger, the _fury_ , of the _thing_ in the gate, at equivalent exchange being violated. It's power had been gone, and been abused. Humans were so, unbearably arrogant, using what little power they had to steal.

Now some people had the power, and hadn't lost enough for it. They didn't forget what they saw in the gate, and it was too weak to make them _pay_.

Then the second, seeming like long, torturous hours, finally passed, and the _threat_ was gone. Everyone was safe.

Then his heartbeat slowed down, and he was drowning in reality once again.

Everyone was staring at him. Shock. Fear.

It was the kind of look people gave him the second they realised what he was. Another one of the military's weapons- not a person- just a dog of the military. Nothing more. Never anything more, never a child.

And they didn't know that he was half metal, a cold arm and a heavy leg- hidden behind gloves, to hide the guilt, so he didn't have to face those eyes. Except he wasn't- not anymore. Now he was exactly what he looked like- a child who hadn't done anything yet.

A child with no childhood.

A child who made his own brother look at him in fear.

"Are you okay?" Winry asked softly, eyes gentle. She _knew_.

Numbly, Ed nodded his head.

He _couldn't_ not be fine, he had to be strong. For Al.

Except it hadn't happened yet. Nothing had. So why did he still have to act like he was unbreakable?

Why couldn't he stop pretending?

Why couldn't he just admit he was breaking?

* * *

Ed was excluded for a week, on account of the school being too relaxed to seriously expell him.

They sent Hohenheim to pick him up, as the man was trying to make up for everything. He was trying to be a father, a husband. Al was delighted. Trisha was pleased.

Ed wasn't happy at all, because he couldn't forget. Every little act was just a reminder of what he had failed to do the first time around.

"Edward, why did you transmute the desks?" Hohenheim asked calmly, but his eyes were stern.

"The gate. The thing in it isn't happy. I felt it." Ed said bluntly, both trying to change the subject and shut the man up. _Bastard chooses_ now _to act like a father._

"You didn't use a circle?" Hohenheim questioned, for the first time sounding angry. "What about-"

"Yeah, I blew my cover, so what? It's not like you're the one who's going to have the questions. You're still safe, so why do you care?" Ed snapped bitterly.

"Because I'm your fa-" Hohenheim started, but stopped when Ed turned and raced off.

He'd thought that they'd been close to improving, with fighting against Father. He'd thought that maybe Ed would be ready to put the past behind him.

Now they were here, in the past, everything fell apart. Hohenheim guessed that Ed was like him, with every day being a reminder of where they'd failed.

He just needed time, Hohenheim hoped.

He didn't want to lose his family. Not again.

#

Ed had stormed off, not really caring where he was going. He just wanted to get away from his bastard of a father. Get away from the _guilt_.

Ever since he'd had that breif flash of feeling from the gate, he'd felt cold. It was the first time he'd transmuted without a circle since the time-travel, and it hadn't ended well.

Not to mention that under central, Father was plotting, no doubt, wanting power, wanting perfection.

He was so lost in though that he didn't hear the whispers on the streets.

"A new butchers?"

"Yeah, and I hear that they sell mamoth meat."

He didn't know what was coming until he walked straight into her, a heavily pregnant woman.

"Sorry." He mumbled, edging away.

"Edward?" There was something familiar about the voice, but it sounded different, younger, maybe softer.

Ed finally looked up at the woman's face.

"Teacher?"


	4. Chapter 4

Ed sat inside the newly opened butcher shop, staring at his teacher with a mix of wonder and horror.

"I don't believe it, you're here?" He said faintly, staring around with wide eyes.

"Yeah, we decided to move nearer my idiot pupils. Speaking of that, where is your brother?" Izumi asked, sharpening a knife, carefully keeping the sharp object away from her stomach.

"Al... doesn't remember." Ed mumbled, trying to keep the sorrow from his voice. He failed miserably, and Izumi's features softened. She, much like her pupils had a sharp mind and realised what the lack of memories meant, other than Ed suddenly faced with a huge distance between himself and the brother who had walked alongside him on a long, painful road.

She pulled Ed into a bone-crushing hug.

"It's not your fault." She whispered, eyes squeezed shut against the memory of her hugging both of her students like this, one shaking with the effort of not crying, the other cold and metal.

Ed also closed his eyes. _I'm sorry Al. I'm so, so sorry._

 _In some ways, we did get our bodies back... just not_ really _together._

* * *

"I was wondering if Hohenheim could help with the birth, since he helped me before- made my breathing easier. So I wondered if..." Izumi trailed off, looking down at her stomach, expression unreadable.

"I'll ask him." Ed promised quietly. He knew how much that this had hurt her, and if there was even a chance he could help his teacher, the woman who had cared for him and Al... He'd take it. "I can go right now if you want."

"No," Izumi's voice suddenly turned far too sweet. "I want to hear all about what my pupils have been up to."

"Uh, living the life of a normal child?" Ed said, although it was like she could _smell_ the guilt.

"What _really_ happened?"Izumi asked sternly. "I do know what times schools are open for... Why weren't you in school?"

Ed sighed. _No use lying._ "I'm excluded for a week, for transmuting the classroom."

Izumi looked dissapointed. "Why did you do that? I know that I taught you better Edward."

"I've seen some shit in the military." Ed said bluntly.

"What kind of shit that would warrant transmuting a classroom?" Izumi asked harshly, not realising what she'd said until it was too late.

 _"Big Bro... ther... Ed... Ward?"_

 _"Are you the Fullmetal Alchemist?"_

 _"Die for your sins!"_

 _"It didn't occur to you, did it? That I'd have another Philosopher's Stone."_

 _"Nothing is impossible."_

"All kinds of shit. I.. had a flashback and thought that a piece of chalk was a bullet." Ed said in a strangled voice.

After a moment of silence, he wondered why he said anything at all. He slowly began to rise from his chair, intending to go home and ask Hohenheim for the help, and then to do everything to try and _forget_.

Instead he was hugged again.

"I'm sorry." Izumi said again. "I shouldn't have asked, it's not something anyone would want to relieve."

"Sorry." Ed mumbled, wondering if he could ever say it enough to fix everything. Bridge the gap in the gate, reach Al... Fix Nina... Save anyone...

He closed his eyes to stop the tears, and leaned against the woman he saw as a second mother and listened as her baby kicked.

* * *

"Say, I remember you being better than this." Kimblee hissed with a sick grin as he walked past Roy.

Roy's eyes widened. "Fullmetal said you were dead. How do you remember?" He snarled quietly.

"Ah, ask the runt yourself, but I'll just say that I was alive in another sense." The man laughed, walking away.

Roy glared after the Crimson Alchemist. Living through the Ishvalan War twice was hell. The smells of ashes and blood baking in the sun should belong in nightmares.

Now, however, he had the skill and precision with his Flame Alchemy that he had lacked before. He could make the explosions seem powerful, seem like they were burning everything and everyone to ashes, but they were harmless.

He could miss, on purpose, with his pinpoint aiming that had burned Envy until the homunculus was small and weak.

He hadn't killed anyone yet, but everyone thought he had rivers of blood on his hands. The only ones who could tell were the Ishvalans themselves, and they kept quiet about it.

But they'd noticed. Rumours spread quickly, after all, the first couple of times could've been a coincidence, or put down to nerves... but now, it seemed that the truth was very differernt indeed.

He was waiting... He'd put up with the war long enough to fix something that had killed far too many people... He knew Hawkeye had his back, even if he couldn't see her. They had both agreed to do this. To try and fix things this time.

After all, the road to hell was paved with good intentions.

* * *

Underneath Central, Father screamed. He'd lost everything, but gained another chance. Losing control of his powers had kept him unconcious for a long time, and returning to reality was like dying.

His creations, his pawns- the homunculi crowded around him, looking for lack of a better word, concerned.

"So we failed." He mused weakly, looking around.

"Yes, we did." Pride's cold voice agreed. "We have years to plan and counter their pitiful counters now, however."

Father didn't outwardly display his shock, but that shook him. He hadn't meant to drag anyone back with him, he had wanted to escape, not particually concerned about anyone else.

 _Just how many others were dragged back with me?_

"You're quite correct, Pride. We will need to begin planning immediately." He said coldly. He wasn't going to fail twice.

* * *

Hohenheim had covered for Ed yet again, staying out of the house so he and Ed arrived back at the same time. He hadn't said anything as he walked beside Ed, but Ed didn't have to look up to see the sadness in his eyes.

"Hey... Do you remember Izumi Curtis? The one who taught me and Al alchemy. She's moved here with her husband, Sig... She's still pregnant, and she was wondering if you could help with the birth, you know, with your stone?" Ed blurted, trying to ignore the _anger_ that always seemed to cloud his thoughts when he was with his father.

"Sure, I can do that." Hohenheim shrugged with a small smile.

"Thanks... Dad." Ed mumbled, but Hohenheim heard, and his entire face lit up as he beamed.

 _Maybe this will work after all!_

* * *

Ed hated dreaming. All his dreams were of the future, of what he'd seen and done in the military, everything he'd failed at... This one was particually bad, because everything _burned_.

Every single cell in his body was screaming with agony, and he didn't need to look behind him to see the pole. He could just about feel the cold, numbness, past the pain. Steaming blood splattered the icy ground around him, and snow fell flake by flake onto his face like bitter tears.

There was a soft, gentle nudging at his limp hand, and he turned his head, as smoldering darkness drowned his vision for an instant, before his eyes brimmed with tears upon seeing what was waiting for him.

 _Nina..._

"It hurts." The chimera whimpered, voice heavy with pain, exactly how he remembered it. "Big brother Edward... It... hurts..."

Then the chimera fell to the ground with the metallic clatter that had accompanied Al falling to the ground.

"Let's get our bodies back together, Brother!" A quiet, pleading whisper floated in the ghostly, still air, and everything was still.

Ed woke up screaming.

His mind still in a panicked haze, he stumbled out of his room, and down into the basement, it was cold there. It was where he and Al had slept while preparing for the transmutation, lanterns and books scattered over the floor.

It was where the suit of armour Al had become stood, empty and lifeless.

Ed curled up at the armour's feet, and fell asleep as it stood over him like a guard.

The next morning, he'd wake up with Al next to him, both of them covered by a blanket, and then he'd realise that maybe his brother wasn't as far away as he thought.


	5. Chapter 5

When Ed first blinked open his eyes, the first thing he saw was the suit of armour standing over him protectively. Then he heard a soft snore and stared at the form of his sleeping brother with wide eyes.

"Al?" Ed whispered, shocked.

The younger brother yawned. "Hi brother." He chirped brightly.

"Al? Did you follow me down here?" Ed asked, full of some horrible, painful _hope_.

"Yeah, I heard you screaming. It sounded like somone's name- 'Nina' I think. Then I followed the crashes down here, and you looked cold and lonely so..." Al trailed off sheepishly with a nervous laugh.

"Why?" Ed croaked. _Al... You're supposed to be free from this. Don't follow me into the dark. Never follow me in anything again._

 _Look where it got you before._

"Because we're brothers. Duh. You've been acting weird and looking sad since you fainted. Then you panicked in class and didn't use a circle to transmute, so I think something's going on. Just remember that we're in this together, okay brother?" Al smiled, his voice sounding all too familiar.

 _"You better win, big brother."_

"Hey Al... I'm sorry." Ed said softly, staring at the feet of the armour, unable to meet his brother's eyes as they undoubtably clouded over with confusion.

Still, seeing the innocence and bonds that weren't there didn't hurt nearly as much as seeing two empty eyes filled with shadows in an empty helmet every time he closed his eyes.

"For what? You haven't done anything wrong brother." Al said simply, as he had always done every time Ed had apologised for a false lead, for another fruitless, bitter ending.

 _For everything. Dragging you into everything. Being unable to pull you back out after you gave everything all for someone like me._

"When I transmuted the classroom the other day. You looked scared. I'm sorry." Ed said with far more guilt than Al felt the small apology deserved.

"Huh? I was scared because you looked scared." Al laughed, seeing the confusion on his brother's face.

"Oh. Sorry." Ed said with a small smile. "Hey Al, there's this alchemist who's just settled down here, and she's really good! Maybe we could get her to teach us." Ed said with a bright smile. Then he swallowed away the bitterness from his next words. "Maybe we could surprise mum and dad with what we've learned!"

"That sounds great!" Al said happily, trying to hide his relief that his brother was acting normally again.

"Yeah, and we could bring Winry too!" Ed laughed. He carried on laughing, and his younger brother joined in, though not for the same reason as Ed.

The older brother who had tried to carry the world on his shoulders laughed away weeks and weeks of hurt as he realised that Al was Al, no matter what. His younger brother wasn't so far away after all.

* * *

Ed, still not being allowed back to school, had taken to visiting Izumi instead. Of course, Trisha didn't know that the person Ed was learning from was an alchemist, but was instead a tutor, and was happy to help for the week Ed was excluded.

Trisha hadn't been happy, in any sense of the word, about Ed's little stunt. He had been grounded, with no alchemy or books allowed for as long as he was excluded.

Except he was learning alchemy, so he was directly going against his mother's wishes, and his insides boiled over with the _guilt_.

At the same time, he was happy. He was able to talk to Al like the future never happened, like everything was fine. Like Al wasn't forced to spend long nights lonely and unfeeling.

Of course, Izumi was thrilled to have her two students back, and a new face egar to learn, even if she didn't say anything. She couldn't, not without ruining everything.

So Ed and Izumi hurt through smiling faces, as they remembered the pain behind each circle, the darkness behind the flashes of light, and kept on the happy mask to hide the fact they were crumbling away.

Winry knew a little, not everything, not in detail, but enough to look uneasy as the transmutations flared to life.

Al tried not to feel anything wrong. But occasionally, just occasionally, he would feel fear, as the feeling drifted by like smoke. He couldn't remember the fire, flying too close to the sun. He couldn't see the two burning next to him.

* * *

"You can feel _it_ , can't you?" Ed asked quietly after one of their lessons, and Al had gone on ahead to talk to Winry about one of the newest transmutations. "The Truth."

"Yes. _It's_ distant, but _it's_ there." Izumi whispered. " _It_ isn't happy." Her hands curled over her swollen stomach protectively.

Ed stared at his brother, gaze fierce and protective. Burning with love, fueled by loss.

"No." He agreed, clenching his fist. " _It_ isn't."

* * *

When Ed was allowed back to school, and allowed to do alchemy again, they resumed learning alchemy at the back of the classroom, although they toned it down so they wouldn't get caught.

"So how do you do it just by clapping your hands?" Al asked curiously one lesson.

"The clapping symbolises the connecting of the circle." Winry mumbled, remembering one of her lessons with ease.

"But what about the runes?" Al finished, tilting his head to the side.

"I suppose you could say that I am the runes." Ed shrugged, remembering what their teacher had said.

"How do you learn to do it?" Al pestered, eyes huge. Ed smiled inwardly, remembering how they had looked at Izumi exactly like that. Then his stomach dropped as he knew what he had to say.

"You can't. You have to see the Truth." Ed said flatly. His next words tasted like dust. "It has to be equivalent."

Far away, he could _feel It_ frown, rage twisting _It's_ face. _The humans... How dare they talk about the very laws they shattered!_

"But what is the Truth?" Al groaned.

"It's... Everything. Don't look for it Al, please." Ed begged, remembering his brother's starving body with the blank gaze in the endless, _lonely_ , white place. He remembered how it was all his fault.

He remembered how he couldn't fix it. How he'd failed.

"It isn't worth it." He finished, staring at his flesh arm, for one instant seeing metal. _And you'll never know the price, Winry, Alphone. Not if I have anything to say about it._

Winry was staring at him with shock. She knew about the Gate, she knew about the power it contained. She hadn't expected the bitterness, the sadness or the _fear_. Whatever the gate was, it was _bad_.

And everything Ed had faced, he'd had Al to share with, the anchor to keep him sane. Now that Al was gone, and the younger Elric was free, and could, and if she knew Ed, _would_ , be kept _safe_ from everything that had scarred them both so deeply.

Now he was scared... Of the gate, maybe of the future...

Yes Winry knew the Fullmetal alchemist too, but she also knew the boy behind the fearsome name, who still wasn't sure if it was okay to be scared.

But she knew about his determination and resolve. She knew that Ed was plotting to try and save them all, to try and stop everything before it happened.

And this time, she refused to let him shoulder the burden alone.

* * *

Roy strode through the ashes, eyes narrowed against the smoke still in the air. He had remembered this particular segment, like every other, terrified faces, wide eyes and _screams_.

It was too quiet as he walked, but he knew that the Ishvallans were still alive, because the air only smelt of smoke, and nothing more. This was so different. He hadn't killed anyone yet, and he felt lighter than he had in years.

He was still weighed down by the nightmares, still woke up screaming and choking on the words _'I'm sorry'_ because they wouldn't fix anything, and when faced with the ashes, and the _screams_ , they were far too _small_ , fragile and it was too late.

Except the nightmares were distant, like through a layer of water, soothing the burns, distorting the screams. Maybe it was because he knew his hands were clean, and that made all the difference.

It had taken him a while to track down the exact position of these two brothers, and in all honsesty, he wasn't too happy about it, but he knew it was their best bet.

They had a war to win.

Roy forced his features into a polite mask, but clenched his fists, before knocking on the door that kept him out, and he really hoped that Hawkeye was in a position to save him if this turned ugly.

A pair of red eyes greeted him, and for a second, they blazed with some horrifying anger that sent chills up his spine, but then the eyes turned to a much less dangerous confusion.

Roy cleared his throat, decidind to try and clear the tense silence, after all, they had been allies once, how hard could this be?

"Hello Scar, it's been a while?"

Becase there was no way he was losing this war, if it meant saving everyone.


	6. Chapter 6

In the gate, the endless white, Truth's face was twisted with rage. One of it's hands was clutching its chest, exactly where its heart would've been, had it been human.

If the Truth had ever once entertained the notion of being human, it certainly didn't now, nor did it dream of ever being anything more, or the unbearably arrogant beings that claimed to be _more_.

If anything, Truth despised the monster that tried to claim the powers of God, for taking what _never_ should've belonged to it.

Taking then giving. It really wasn't the humans' fault, they were so weak, when the reality of the world drowned them, and their tiny significance.

The beings that claimed to be better, _more_ , evolved... those were the ones that truly angered Truth.

Imortality, gained by cheating death, equivalent loss of millions, but in the end, the lives that kept them safe from the clutches of time, were human. The sins that the homunculus claimed to have removed made them real, made them equivalent.

The emotions, the strength that made humans so entertaining, as they lived, strugled, grew stronger and broke, then put themselves back together, were gone.

It didn't improve them at all. It only showed humans at their worst. Humans truly were insufferable when they gained power and they let it control them.

Arrogance was the worst, lesser beings meddling with powers that weren't theirs.

Yes, it was annoyed, furious. The humans were powerless, even for it to take back what shouldn't be theirs, they couldn't forget the Gate, you never forgot your lesson- never forgot your price, but they hadn't paid the price. That was unforgivable.

It was making the Truth hurt. Right where it would've had a heart. The distortion was hurting it inside.

It wasn't a nice feeling, and Truth hated them for it. Pain was for living things, it wasn't anything to do with something like itself. Fragile bonds had been forged between the humans that it had seen, and it could feel them, just there, just enough to feel their sickening feelings.

It hated them all for making it _feel_.

* * *

Ed stared at Sig, who was sitting so still it was like he was made of stone.

"It'll be okay." He said quietly, hoping to reassure the man, and wondering if anything he could say would really help. "She's strong."

Sig sighed heavily. "I know, but I worry." He said sadly, and Ed remembered his eyes from the final battle, and how _scared_ he looked behind his strong shield.

Sig had always seemd so big and strong- a pillar, and Ed had secretly seen him as a fatherly figure. He'd seemed calm, unmovable, but here he was, scared and looking in that one instant, even smaller than Ed was.

Izumi was giving birth, and last time, the child had died in its first night of life. The two parents had been devestated, and Izumi had been broken.

Only to be completely shattered when she tried to bring her child back.

Yet there was so much _hope_ , so much that could be changed.

Ed frowned. They all knew that Father was also back, with knowledge of the past, and he could stop any plans they had used now.

But did he know that they were back too? If he didn't, they had the tiniest advantage, but he knew...

Then everything would be against them, and they'd have to start again from square one.

Everything suddenly seemed very big and very dangerous.

Ed thought of Al's beaming face, and his mother's gentle smile, Izumi's arms hugging her stomach.

He thought of the burning fury in Roy's eyes as he glared at Envy, then the sheer ice in Father's hollow eyes.

He remembered the pain of the automail surgery, made agonising by the guilt and questions he couldn't ask.

He remembered the cold of the mine, the screech of metal and the strange calmness of the snow as his world burned with agony.

Yes, it had hurt before, and it he failed, made one wrong move, then it'd hurt more.

But he could live with that, just to make sure the future didn't happen again.

* * *

"It survived." Hohenheim's voice was tired, and Ed nearly missed it. His eyes widened.

"Is... Teacher okay?" He asked, his throat suddenly very dry.

"Yeah. She's fine. Everything is fine." Hohenheim said with a smile. Ed couldn't describe the feelings of relief that flooded him in that moment.

Nearly on instinct, he rushed forwards and hugged his father tightly. "Thank you." He was crying, and he hadn't realised it until Hohenheim ruffled his hair.

"It'll be okay." Although Ed couldn't see it, he could hear Hohneheim's smile.

"Everything?" Ed asked, for the first time sounding small, sounding breakable.

"I promise."

* * *

"Did her child die last time?" Winry asked timidly. Ed merely nodded, looking down at the floor.

The child's cries echoed through the still air.

"We're going to change everything, aren't we." It wasn't a question.

"We're going to try." Ed agreed grimly.

"There has been one change already." Hohenheim sighed. "There can be many more."

"Are you going to leave again?" Ed asked, although it didn't sound accusing like Winry thought it would. He sounded wary, but not angry.

"No. Not unless I absolutely have to... But the Dwaf in the Flask already knows about my counter circle, so it's pointless." Hohenheim's voice carried all his pain, pain from the loss of Trisha, pain from betraying his sons. Pain from knowing that even after _everything_ , after all of his sacrifices, it was all for nothing and the fight hadn't ended.

"Will we be able to save her? Will we be able to save everyone?" Ed asked, eyes narrowed.

Winry sat up straight. "Can we stop my parents from going to Ishval? They won't listen to me, I'm only a child." She trailed off bitterly.

"If we need to, we can transmute them to their chairs and force them not to go." Ed suggested with the ghost of a smile.

"I can try and talk them out of it, and if that fails... Get them to sit down." Hohenheim chuckled.

Winry smiled. "What would the circle be?"

"I keep forgetting you became an automail mechanic." Hohenheim murmured. "That stuff hurt."

"Good. It kept Ed safe." Winry huffed.

"Yeah." Ed's smile was sad. "It lasted until the very end."

"So about the homunculi... Will any of them remember?" Winry asked curiously.

"I don't think so." Hohenheim mused. "All of them were dead at the end, right? The last one to go was Pride."

Ed froze. "I think... I think he died. I'm not actually sure." He hadn't wanted to recall anything about that fight, it was too close, too painful. But if he was wrong, and Pride had, against all odds, been alive in the small boy that had been sleeping in his coat, then it would cost them dearly.

"I see." Hohenheim sighed. "So until we're certain what their moves are going to be, we can't do anything other than wait."

Ed frowned. He didn't like just sitting around. "So you're saying that we just need to keep studying alchemy?"

"Yes." Hohenheim nodded. _You don't realise this, but both of you need protecting too._

* * *

The rest of the year trickled by slowly. Izumi and Sig adored their son, who was a healthy and strong child.

Hohenheim had taken to carefully studying maps and complicated, old, alchemy in his study. When Ed had asked what he was doing, he had only been told not to worry, which bugged him to no end. He _hated_ not being able to do anything.

Instead he trained, working on regaining his skills in fighting. He didn't have his automail this time around, so he had to find away around that.

Before he could even start worrying about his main weapon missing, he had to start training again from square one, and it sucked, because all the time he could remember doing the exact same thing with Al, which hurt.

Because this time, his younger brother had chosen to sit out the combat training and learn more about medical alchemy, Ed had been joined only by Winry, and only rarely, as she was more focused on studying alchemy.

Still, he reminded himself that all the bruises and the lonely hours were worth it, because it meant that his mother would be there at the end of it all, to smile and scold him.

He'd rather die than lose that again.

* * *

Roughly a month had passed since the Ishvalan War had ended, and Ed was walking towards the station absently, deep in thought.

However, a familiar figure was lounging against the station wall, smirking.

"Took you long enough, _bastard_." Ed's grin lit up his entire face.

"Fullemtal, you've grown taller, I see." Roy smiled pleasantly. "Glad to see you've remembered me."

"I really hope that you didn't just call me short, I'd hate to make you uglier." Ed beamed. _Strangely enough, I missed this._

"Now, shall we get down to business?"


	7. Chapter 7

"Time travel. It's supposed to be impossibe." Roy sighed heavily.

"It wasn't, though, and we ended up here. Who else remembers?" Ed asked impatiently.

"Still no manners, Fullmetal. Shame, you were almost tolerable at the end."

 _"It's... it's so dark..."_

 _"Colonel? Your eyes..."_

 _"I'm blind?"_

 _"You idiot! You were almost hit!"_

They'd worked together in that last battle, because the price of failure was too high. Because everyone had lost too much, in the end.

"Well, you weren't entirely useless then either, so I guess it's even." Ed shrugged. It was true, despite losing his sight, Mustang had still managed to stand against Father when it mattered the most.

"This is something you might find interesting. Kimblee remembers." Roy said suddenly.

Ed's blood turned to ice. _What? How? I was so sure that the child was Selim and not Pride, that the stone wasn't... What happened to the stone?_

"You okay, Fullmetal? You've gone rather pale." Roy asked, looking concerned.

"Y-yeah. Just didn't expect that." Ed shook his head. "The fight ended weirdly, and I'm not sure what happened at the end."

"I see. So it's possible that Pride will know what's going on as well." Roy sighed. "Well, it's not like we can change that this... is it early or late in the game?"

Ed groaned. " _That's_ what you focus on? Bastard."

Roy shrugged. "It's better than focusing on anything else at this point, because none of it was good."

Ed looked defiantly for a response before sighing when he found none. It was true. By the end, everything had just seemed so _hopeless._ "So what changes have you made? I know Hughes won't have so much as a scratch on him this time around."

Roy's eyes darkened. "Yes. He _will_ be quitting the military before he can be wrapped up in anything."

Ed smiled. The loss of Hughes still ached, because he'd been a friend. A parental figure. Someone to turn to. Someone always smiling.

His absence had hurt everyone, in the end.

And no one could find it in them to smile for a long time afterwards, because it was like he'd taken everything happy with him to the grave. The wounds had healed, but they'd left ugly scars.

"That's good." He nodded.

"And... Well, it'd be easier to show you this change. Fancy a trip to Xerxes?" Roy smirked, and Ed raised an eyebrow.

"What have you done?" Ed asked curiously. Why did the bastard look so smug?

"Come to Xerxes." Roy ordered.

Ed nodded, then deflated. "Wait... I need to get permission first."

And it was _good,_ too good, to need permission, because it meant that he had someone looking out for him. It meant that he didn't have to carry the weight of the world- his world and his brother's world- on his shoulders.

He'd never complain about the burden. He'd deserved it. He still did, in his mind. But he wouldn't deny that his mother's presence made everything so, so much better.

Because you didn't truly appreciate something until it was lost forever. And if by some miracle, you gained it back, you'd never let it go. Just to stop it from fading away again. Just to keep on smiling.

* * *

"Hey, can I go to Xerxes?" Ed asked suddenly, and Hohenheim blinked in surprise.

"Why would you want to go there?" He asked, staring down at his son.

"Colonel bast- I mean Roy, well, he remembers too, and he said that there's something important there." Ed explained hurridly. "And it needs to be done soon, because he only has a couple of days of leave from the military."

Hohenheim frowned. "Are you sure you can trust this... Roy?" He asked, because he honestly didn't know the man. He'd failed as a father once by allowing a situation that would involve his son joining the military to happen, and he swore to himself that it wouldn't happen again.

His son didn't hesitate. "He may be an arrogant ars- I mean man, but yeah, he's trustworthy."

Hohenheim frowned. "I want to talk to him before deciding anything."

Because after everything, after Wrath and the corruption, Hohenheim could not bring himself to trust a dog of the military.

* * *

"Nice to meet you." Roy said stiffly, polite smile plastered on his face.

"Likewise." Hohenheim said with equal strain.

"Look, I need to get to Xerxes, and it would really be helpful if Fullmetal came too."

"Why? What's so important that he'd have to cross the desert to go there? He's just a child." Hohenheim demanded.

" _He_ is listening." Ed butted in, and was promptly ignored.

"Something that could change every fight with the homunculi's Father." Roy hissed.

"The journey through the desert is dangerous, is it even worth it? I've heard rumours that there are Ishvalans there." Hohenheim argued.

Ed's eyes widened. "Does this involve-" He started, but was cut off as Roy nodded.

"In a way." The state alchemist said quickly.

"Involve who?" Hohenheim asked coldly.

Roy opened his mouth to reply, but before he could get so much as a word out, someone inhumanly fast jumped in between them, staring at Ed.

For a second, all he could see was the red oroborous on their hand.

Then Greed spoke, teeth bared in a blinding smile. "Do you have any idea how fucking hard you were to find, runt?"

Ed smirked. "You sure took your sweet time getting here." He'd never admit it, but a part of him was worried that Greed, or Ling, hadn't made it. The homunculus had been struggling, he'd been weak. If the fight had continued... But none of that mattered anymore.

"Damn brat. Hard to find." Greed grunted.

"Who are you?" Roy questioned, eyebrows raised, gloved hands poised to snap.

"My name's Greed." Ed mentally groaned, wondering if this was going to turn into the homunculus' regular speech. He'd heard it so many times during the months leading up to the final battle, that he was sick of it.

"Didn't you have a ponytail before?" Hohenheim asked.

"That was Ling. This is the old Greed." Ed interrupted, trying to prevent another long winded conversation.

Hohenheim sighed tiredly. "I see. I take it you're still on our side."

"My old man was, and forever will be a dick. I'm not serving him again." Greed snorted. "In fact, I will take great pleasure in absolutely fu-"

"No swearing around the child." Hohenheim snapped.

Roy groaned as Ed then demonstrated a vocabulary that put Greed's to shame.

"This doesn't solve whether he can go to Xerxes or not." The military officer pointed out.

"Xerxes? Why'd you need to go there?" Greed asked, staring at them.

"Have you changed anything?" Ed asked carefully. "Because apparently, there's a change there that could help us. A lot."

"Yes. There is. Someone who died... Well, they're not dead last I heard, and if we can get them to help us, it'll be useful. We should be able to perform alchemy no matter what Father does, even without a Philosopher's stone." Roy sighed, which had all of their attention.

How many times had they nearly died due to that power of stop alchemy? Ed had been forced to watch Ling become a homunculus, _helpless_ under that power. They had never been able to fight back, _always_ overpowered. That was _terrifying_. That- not being able to even go down fighting, scared him, because it made all the difference.

Hohenheim had nearly died, forced to use his stone's power to save everyone, because they were losing... losing and _dying_ and he _couldn't_ just watch... but one by one the voices, always there, always in it _together_ , faded away.

Roy... Roy had been completely and utterly powerless. Trapped in the dark. He couldn't watch. He couldn't fight. All he could do was wait. Wait and listen. They were scared. He couldn't help. He was lost and drowning in the darkness, because he couldn't see, and he couldn't help. He was useless, in the end, just like he feared.

Greed. He wasn't an alchemist. He wasn't in any risk of dying, his ability worked just fine, but he had to watch. He had to watch as his... _his friends_ nearly died. And if they died, well, they were the only things holding the emptiness away.

"Fine. It'll be too suspicious if we both leave." Hohenheim sounded so defeated. "I'll stay... Just in case Trisha..." He trailed off, seeing Ed look at the floor. Neither of them knew when Trisha might collapse. Only that she would, and they wouldn't let her die. Not again. Never again.

"Thanks... Dad." Ed smiled slightly.

"I'll come along too." Greed said quickly. Too quickly. The reminder of the emptiness, the greed, haunted him. He wouldn't be losing _his_ friends again. Not this time.

Roy smirked, although he didn't seem smug, not anymore.

"Good. Let's get going."

* * *

Alone in the endless void, Truth smiled. It could _feel_ the changes. Slowly and surely, every little action was spreading changes across _everything._ Nothing would be the same. Not this time.


	8. Chapter 8

"So what do we need in Xerxes?" Greed asked. It had turned out, that the trip to the destroyed city was long, hot and boring.

Well, unless every minute was spent arguing with your travelling companions.

"It's a surprise." Roy said simply, clearly enjoying keeping them both in the dark.

"Surprise my arse. Just tell us." Greed snapped. He didn't like the heat. At all.

"No." Roy grinned. This was so much fun!

* * *

"Are we nearly there yet?" Ed whined.

"God, it's creepy to hear you act your age." Greed shuddered.

"But I wanna know. Are we nearly there?" Ed was beaming, his small face looking absolutely evil. If he'd done this journey one time with automail, then the journey _without_ the metal limbs was better. Much better.

"No." Roy snapped.

"What about now?"

"No."

"Now?"

"Shut up, runt." Greed moaned from where he felt like he was melting.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SMALL-"

"SHUT UP!"

* * *

"There. We're here." Ever since the city had been in sight, the three had stopped all the easy talk, all the joking. It was a reminder of what was at stake.

They needed to change things. If not... Well, they _couldn't_ live through everything twice. They couldn't see the same ending. They couldn't try, save people, do _everything_ , just to have it all be snatched away at the very end.

Because that would break them. Everything, everyone would be lost, and there wouldn't be a point. Not anymore. There'd be nothing to fight for, it'd all be over.

All because of those cold, emotionless eyes.

* * *

Curious red eyes peered at them from the shadows as the three walked through the ruins, Ed, much like he had the first time he had seen the city, was staring at the ruins in awe, because there was so much _history_ written in the stones.

And to think it was all gone in a single night.

He was so lost in thought that he hardly noticed where they were going, until Roy motioned for them to stop.

Once again, Ed stared up at the broken monument, shuddering as he remembered where its other half was, in a sea of blood, secrets revealed in the flickering torch light.

"Scar!" Roy called, his voice loud and confident, but Ed didn't miss the way the man's fingers edged towards his gloves.

So they were looking for Scar after all. And maybe- Ed's eyes widened.

"Brother? What does that mean?" An unfamiliar voice called, and the young alchemist turned to see one of the faces from his nightmares walking towards them, followed by a smaller Ishvalen in glasses.

"That doesn't matter." Scar said gruffly, eyes trained on the group. "Flame Colonel. You kept your end of the bargin." He stated, his eyes cold and calculating.

"Yes. And you will keep your end of the bargin, won't you." Roy responded coolly.

"Will someone explain what the actual fuck is going on?" Greed demanded impatiently.

"I'd like to know that too." Scar's brother muttered. Ed, however, was staring at his arms.

"That makes so much more sense now." He mumbled.

"I think we'd better find somewhere private to talk." Scar said finally.

* * *

"Who are you?" The Ishvalan with glasses asked suspiciously. "I don't get why you're here."

"We know about the nation wide transmutation circle. And your counter circle." Ed said flatly, and the man nearly fell over.

"What- how?" He choked.

"Can someone explain everything, like right bloody now? I get that you're the Ishvalan that killed a load of people, but who's the guy with the glasses" Greed snapped.

"Killled... a load of people?" Scar's brother repeated faintly.

"You can know me by Scar, and my brother by the name Kabuto." Scar spoke gruffly. "Now you introduce yourselves."

"I'm Roy Mustang." The former Colonel said simply, his eyes cold and calculating, not matching his tone at all.

"Edward Elric." Ed nodded, staring at Kabuto, thinking of the danger, and the potential of Scar's arm. _This_ was the man who'd created it.

"And I'm Greed the-"

"We don't have time for the speeches." Roy cut in, eyes dark. "I only have a few more days until I'm due back at the military. We're short on time."

"The military? Mustang? Wait, you're the Flame Alchemist who didn't actually kill any Ishvalans!" Kabuto gasped, eyes wide. Scar's head jolted up and he stared at Roy like he'd never seen the Flame Alchemist before.

"Yes. And we need your help. As Fullme- Edward mentioned earlier, we know about the nation wide transmutation circle, and the counter circle you developed. We need to learn your alchemy."

"H-how? How do you know all this?" Scar's brother was pale and looked terrified, most likely of the notion that they would know his circle, or of the idea that they were helping the people who made the circle.

The mere thought of helping the homunculi made Ed feel sick, overwhelming bitterness.

The three looked at Scar, who sighed heavily, and the young former Ishvalan monk suddenly looked years older, like when he'd decided to stop killing, and was merely left with a shell of the hatred that burned his mind alive, and left him with regrets like ashes, empty and all that was left behind of something that had once seemed so bright.

"Because it happened before. Someone used the circle and used that power to become like a god. Only things didn't go so well for him, and the blonde kid managed to overpower him, so he travelled back in time, and dragged everyone fighting him with him." Scar said slowly, and every word was dark and serious. To Kabuto, it was clear that this wasn't a joke, as the Ishvalan's eyes were wide.

"But time travel is-" He started, seeming defensive, seeming scared.

"Nothing is impossible." Greed said, and his grin was sharp. Dangerous.

"We're short on time. We don't expect you to believe us, not yet, we just need you to help us." Roy interrupted.

"What could I help with?" Kabuto asked, and only looked confused as Scar stared at his arm, red eyes unreadable.

"Your alchemy. It proved effective against this god figure in the future." Scar spoke, and his voice was full of pain. "They want to learn how to use it, so they can fight him."

"Wait..." Scar's brother said slowly. "If... If you remember this future, brother... Then you were fighting against him. So why don't I remember? I was fighting with you, right?"

Scar slowly shook his head. He'd been changed through the future, and shoved into the past. Something that had been a dream quickly twisted into a nightmare, as he realised that he was the only one that changed. Everything was perfectly preserved, except for him. He didn't fit.

So he'd had to learn again.

And still, he couldn't bring himself to learn to lie, just to keep the past, the changed future as perfect, as unbreakable as it had been. Because it was a lie, and living in lies hurt.

The truth was quick, brutal and simple. It'd sting, but it'd stop. But the lies choked and burned, and never quite healed.

So Scar chose the lesser of the two evils. "You died. You gave me your arm." He said simply, and watched as his brother's face crumpled.

"I-I see." He swallowed. "So... when did I... die? Sorry, this is all so hard to believe, but I honestly don't think you're lying."

"During the Ishvalan war. The war was worse, the casualties were... unbelievable. You were killed by the Crimson Lotus Alchemist." Scar stared at the sky, unable to look at his brother's face, because he'd see the pain, the shock, and know that it was all his fault.

"Time is running out." Roy repeated, and Kabuto jumped, like he'd forgotten they were there.

"Right, sorry." The man straightened, and in that instance, Ed could see the resemblance between the brother, and not in appearance or blood. "If it really works..."

No, Kabuto was exactly as determined as Scar was, only it wasn't bloodthirsty as Scar had been, rather defiant, and it took Ed a second to realise that the man was deciding to go against fate, to survive, to change the future.

"I will teach you all my alchemy." The man with glasses said firmly. "I will help you change the future."

 **A/N: As far as I know, Scar's brother doesn't actually have a name in the anime or manga, so he's being called Kabuto in this story. Unless of course he does have a cannon name, in which case I'll use that, if I find it or someone lets me know. Sorry for any inconvenience or confusion!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N Hi, just a quick notice about some changes made to the last chapter, namely that I managed to mix up which one of Scar and his brother was older, so I just edited it to make that make sense. Sorry for any confusion that mistake caused!**

 **As usual, I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist, and I hope you enjoy the chapter :D**

"You have to leave already?" Kabuto asked, frowning. "But you've only mastered the basics."

Roy sighed. "Sadly, this is the only leave I have from the military. I don't have a choice in going."

Kabuto looked at Roy. "There's something I don't quite understand. If you were opposed to the war enough to not kill any of us, then why are you still in the military?"

Roy froze, then laughed humourlessly. "As ironic as it is, there's someone I need to protect. I've been trying to convince them to quit for a while now."

Ed smiled bitterly. At least this time, Hughes could live, have a happy ending. Maybe this time, at least one family could remain whole. Maybe this time, Roy wouldn't spend so long in the rain, alone in a graveyard, with the silence and raindrops in the place of his best friend.

Scar paused then turned to Ed. "I'm sorry." He said quickly, and gruffly, like he wasn't sure what to say, like he wasn't used to saying the words. "Your brother... if he isn't here with you..." He didn't need to say anything else, and Ed merely nodded, trying desperately not to hear the echoes.

 _"You'd better win, brother."_

Kabuto cleared his throat. "Anyway, I've written out notes on the more complex theory for the battle application of my alchemy style, but there's only one copy so only one of you will be able to keep it and learn it at a time."

Both alchemists smiled in relief at that. "Thank you." Ed was practically beaming, because this made a difference.

Roy bowed his head in thanks. "Your help has been truly valuable." Now all that was left for the inevitable argument over who got the notes first. This was important, this could save people... But only one of them could use them first...

Ed and Roy nodded, and Ed could only stare at his former commanding officer as the papers were passed to him.

"But don't you-" He started to protest, and was stopped as Roy smirked.

"Relax, Fullmetal. You'd better be done with them the next time I have leave, though." Roy's smirk didn't falter, and Ed grinned.

"Fullmetal?" Kabuto asked, clearly confused.

"I became a State Alchemist in the future." Ed explained sheepishly. "That was my title."

Kabuto could only stare. " _How_ far in the future was this? You said the circle was activated-"

"He was the youngest state alchemist ever. Signed up at twelve." Scar explained.

" _Why_?" Kabuto was horrified. No doubt the horrors of the Ishvalan was were still fresh in his mind.

"I had my reasons." Ed said briskly. A promise. The promise that'd meant everything. The promise that held him together. The promise he'd broken. Because in the end, they hadn't recovered their bodies together. He was the only one who remembered their promise, the bond that had been built and tested through years of suffering had been unravelled.

Now they had a new weapon, a better chance. And Ed told himself that all the sacrifices would be worth it, just so long as he could protect his precious little brother.

* * *

Roy was standing at the train station, looking down at Ed, and he sighed.

"Well Fullmetal, I can at least say that the military is certainly quieter without you..." He said carefully.

Ed rolled his eyes. "What, missing me, bastard?"

Roy shook his head. "Fine. I'll be blunt. Do you plan on joining the military again?"

At this, Ed froze. Going back would basically be offering himself to Father on a silver platter. Even if it was useful for getting around, it wasn't necessary...

But... "Nina." Ed whispered. "... Somehow, I need to save her. She didn't deserve what happened to her."

Roy paused. "I'll see what I can find on the Life Sewing alchemist, see if I can stop him early... If not, then we'll think of another plan. One that doesn't involve twelve year old state alchemists. Not again."

Ed managed a smile. "Thanks... Colonel Bastard."

"No problem... Pipsqueak." Roy turned away as the train arrived, so Ed couldn't see his smile.

Ed stared after the train as it left, and turned away, nearly bumping straight into Winry.

"W-where you there the whole time?" He blurted the first thought that came to mind.

Winry nodded, looking serious. "Ed you can't join the military again... Please..."

Ed swalowed. "I... I can't abandon Nina to that fate again."

Even in the past, or future, Ed had never told Winry about Nina. He hadn't told Winry about nearly enough, and now she was stranded in the past, with no idea as to what could be changed, what could be stopped.

Now, from her perspective, he was willing to walk into danger, all because of another secret.

"Please, Ed... Just tell me." She begged, and Ed looked at the floor.

"It isn't a pretty story." He warned, feeling his heart wrench at the thought of talking about Nina, to someone he'd tried to shelter.

"I don't care." She insisted stubbornly, although she looked pale.

Ed paused. He decided that he'd tell it like a story... because otherwise, it'd hurt too much. Because it _could_ just be a memory now, it _could_ be just a story, something only kept by nightmares, if only he could save her.

"There once was a girl called Nina Tucker. Her father was a State alchemist- the Life Sewing Alchemist..."

* * *

"T-that's horrible." Winry sobbed. "Why? Why would he do that?"

Ed shook his head numbly. "I don't know why he did it. Maybe from his perspective, he didn't have a choice." He added bitterly.

Then, he felt unbearably guilty. "I'm sorry, Winry. I made you cry again." Another promise, broken.

Winry merely shook her head, then burried her face on his shoulder as she cried. Cried for poor, poor Nina Tucker, the girl with human eyes in an animal face.

And Ed cried too, because he could still remember her quiet, scared voice calling him her big brother

* * *

"Hey brother?" Al asked quietly. Ed had been back for a week, and after being scolded and hugged, and welcomed home, everything had settled down.

"Yeah, Al?" Ed asked, turning to his brother.

"Why do you have nightmares?" Al blurted. "I hate it... You never tell me why, but I can hear you screaming. Please brother, just tell me why. I want to help!" Al begged desperately.

Ed froze, blood turning to ice. _No Al... don't. Please... You can't get involved, not again._

Al's eyes were filled with tears. "It's like I don't even know you any more." He whispered.

Ed turned slowly, his golden eyes were wide. "Al..." He breathed, torn.

Then he remembered Scar's face as he told Kabuto about the past. The Ishvalan had hated it, Ed could see it in his eyes. The regret, the fear... Then the resolve. Scar hadn't wanted to do it, but faced it anyway. That was what made him brave.

Ed never thought he'd admire the courage of someone who had tried to kill him. But now he knew how hard it was, he couldn't help the respect.

Ed took a deep, shuddering breath. "Al..." He started shakily.

He knew how Scar had felt. Sometimes, you had to hurt the ones you loved to help them. He didn't have a choice. He was hurting people by keeping secrets. He was hurting his little brother. How could he do it?

He couldn't, that was the answer. Because Edward Elric would do many things, and hurt his little brother, even unintentionally wasn't one of them.

"Hey Al," He made his choice. "Do you think that time travel could ever be possible?"


	10. Chapter 10

Trisha Elric was a good mother. She loved her two boys more than anything else in the world, and would do anything for them.

So, when Edward's screams from his nightmares started, she worried. Because what would give him nightmares? Why was he having them? Then he'd left for 'alchemy training' and she'd grown suspicious, because what kind of alchemy training couldn't be done at home, and was it really as important as Hohenheim seemed to believe it was?

Hohenheim wouldn't answer her questions. Edward would manage to worm his way out of answering, and look unbearably guilty as he did so, which only made her more confused, and worried. Because he was her son. Why did he look so sad? Why wouldn't, why couldn't he tell her?

What had happened to the smiling little boy she remembered?

She made sure to keep and eye on Edward after that 'alchemy training' because she was getting the to the bottom of this if it was the last thing she did.

For nearly a week, nothing happened, and life settled back into a routine.

Until one day, by pure chance she stopped outside a door, enough to hear her youngest son's pleading.

"It's like I don't even know you anymore." Trisha froze. She had barely heard the whisper through the door, and for a second she thought she'd imagined it.

Then, there was a small, horrified gasp. "Al." It hurt her to hear them both sound so _broken_. She was about to rush in there and confront them, comfort them, because she couldn't stand hearing it.

But the next words made her feeze.

"Hey Al, do you think that time travel could ever be possible?"

So she stood there in silence and listened and heard the entire story.

And as she listened, she remembered the strange dream she'd had the day one of her sons and her husband fainted, that suddenly didn't seem like a dream anymore.

This was real, apparently. It would explain the nightmares, it would explain everything.

Eyes narrowed, Trisha marched off to find her husband. He had some explaining to do.

* * *

"So someone managed to obtain the power of a god and escaped into the past to avoid being killed? You know how that sounds, right brother?" Al asked after Ed's explanation. He hadn't explained everything, only that they had been involved in a fight with someone who had obtained the power of God and had time travelled.

The details, at least some of them, would come later, because he was _sick_ of keeping secrets. Even so, he wanted to protect Alphonse from the pain, because it wouldn't happen again.

"Yeah, it sounds like I'm mad, but there is a circle to back it up... Especially if you place it on a map and you know your history." Ed sighed, collecting one of the many pages scattered that held the transmutation circle. He didn't have a map handy, but Al saw.

"...but why didn't you tell me sooner? If you remember, why don't I remember?" Al asked, and Ed froze.

 _"You'd better win... Big brother..."_ And the light had faded from the eye sockets in the armour. Al had died. _Died_.

"Al, the future... It wasn't happy."

 _"Give him back! He's all I have left!"_

 _"It hurts, big brother Edward."_

 _"That thing they transmuted... Was it really their mother?"_

 _"I'd be a shame if something happened to that automail mechanic of yours... Winry, wasn't it?"_

 _"At last. All five sacrifices are here."_

"But why don't I remember it? If you were dragged back when you fainted... Then dad was dragged back too. And Winry! Why wasn't I with you?" Al sounded desparate now. He sounded scared and Ed _hated_ it.

And before he could even open his mouth, Al's entire body slumped. "I died, didn't I?" He concluded grimly.

 _"Al, what are you doing? No... No, you can't. Al... Don't do it!"_

 _"You'd better win... Big brother..."_

"Yeah." Ed's throat was dry. "It was my fault." That remark earned him a punch in the shoulder.

"You're being an idiot." Al said simply. "How did I die?"

"You sacrificed your soul... To give me my arm back, so I could escape." Ed managed, throat dry.

"You _lost_ your _arm_?" Al sounded horrified.

 _"I never asked for this stupid body!"_

"You lost a lot more... And that was my fault too." Ed muttered bitterly.

This time, he was punched in the face.

"Stop blaming yourself! None of it has happened yet, right?" Al asked seriously.

"No, and it's not _going_ to happen." Ed responded, rubbing his sore cheek.

"Then you haven't done anything. So stop blaming yourself." Al huffed.

Ed stared. Al was acting exactly as he had before... before he died in the previous timeline.

Then he broke down laughing, because there was a huge weight off his shoulders in that moment, and after a minute, Al was also laughing and everything was _okay_.

* * *

"Brother, how much can you tell me about the future... Or past... Or-" Kabuto started, only to be interrupted by his younger brother.

"It's not anything nice." Scar said gruffly.

"Okay, why did they call you 'Scar', brother?" Kabuto asked, sitting down and staring at Scar with raised eyebrows. "I do have authority as the older brother here, you know." He said with a small smile, in an attempt to lighten the mood a little.

Scar snorted. "I suppose you do." The Ishvalan managed a smile.

"So," Kabuto continued. "What was the future like? Did you make any new friends? Get a girlfriend?"

Scar paused. "I had companions." He started, then paused. "And I killed a homunculus."

Kabuto fell over. "A homunculus? They're real?" The alchemist breathed.

"Yes. They have the ability to regenerate using the Philosopher's Stone within them to regenerate." Scar elaborated.

"Woah. What was fighting them like?" Kabuto asked eagerly.

Scar paused. "The one I killed, Wrath, used swords. Two of them."

"Talking to you is like pulling teeth." Kabuto muttered. "Wait... Wrath... So they were named after the seven deadly sins?"

"Yes. You met Greed when Fullmetal and the Flame Alchemist were here to learn your alchemy." Scar explained.

"The weird one with the sunglasses was a homunculus? So that tattoo-"

"They all have one somewhere." Scar interrupted again.

"So what about your friends? What were they like?"

Scar blinked. "They were my companions, brother."

"Friends." Scar's brother insisted.

"One of them was a small Xingese girl with a pet panda," Scar started, ignoring Kabuto's smile. Although the former killer wouldn't admit it there and then, he'd missed this.

* * *

Trisha knocked politely on Hohenheim's door.

"Come in." Hohenheim called, voice muffled.

Trisha did, and she wasn't smiling.

"Can you tell me how our son lost and arm in the future?" She asked coldly, glaring at him. He'd known, all this time and kept it from her. She wasn't happy. The conversation she'd just heard had been enlightening to say the least, and she needed to confirm it. The way Hohenheim's face changed to one of complete shock and he fell off his chair proved that it was true.

Which meant that if she didn't remember (and she didn't really understand, she was just following her son's logic here) that she'd died, which didn't seem _real_. But if her husband reacted so strongly, and he'd also fainted, then that confirmed it for her.

"W-what?" Hohenheim stammered, staring at her in total shock. "How do you know about that?"

"I overheard a rather enlightening conversation." The normally sweet woman replied flaltly. "And if I don't remember, I either wasn't fighting or died." She concluded, and seeing her husband's face go pale, she decided that it was the latter.

Her legs trembled, and she collapsed to the ground.

"So, would you like to tell me how Edward lost and arm? How Alphonse died? What _happened_ to our sons?" She choked. " _Why_ does Edward have nightmares? What has he _seen_? I don't remember so tell me. _Please_ , Hohenheim."


	11. Chapter 11

"So, was there anything good in the future, I mean there must have been some happy times, right?" Al asked curiously.

 _"Oh, sorry, Fullmetal, I couldn't see you under all my paperwork."_

 _"Shut up, you complete and utter bastard!"_

 _"Yo! You're the Elrics right? I heard you need a place to stay."_

 _"Oh? Can you take me to Rush Valley? Please!"_

 _"Thanks for the meal, I owe you one."_

 _"I promise you that your next tears will be tears of joy!"_

Ed grinned. "There were some good times... Hey Al, you know you... you nearly had a girlfriend." He chuckled, remembering how the Xingese princess had acted around his brother... And what he hadn't been around for, Winry had filled him in about.

Al frowned. "Who?" He looked mildly concerned. "While we're on that topic, did you ever get around to confessing to Winry or did you find someone else-"

Ed blushed furiously. _How_ had Al managed to turn that around? Then he paused. "I... I was going to confess to Winry after... after everything, but that never happened."

Al shrugged. "Then why not do it now? You both remember, right? So you may as well tell her."

Ed frowned, still rather red. "You're taking this remarkably well." He said, mostly just to change the subject.

Al shrugged. "I don't think that I'm too shocked to be shocked."

Ed stared. "That makes no sense whatsoever."

"Then I'll have an extremely delayed reaction." The younger Elric said sagely.

There was a pause, then. "Who else is from the future? You only said it was bad, and that you've time travelled, but you didn't say what actually happened."

Ed grinned sheepishly. "Well, we had a _really_ scary alchemy teacher for one."

Al paled. "You don't mean Izumi taught us in that timeline too?" He shuddered.

Ed smirked. "There weren't even any islands involved this time."

His little brother whimpered. "Actually... Can you not tell me about that? I don' t want to even _think_ about her training methods right now."

"We travelled a lot." Ed supplied, trying not to think of any of the bad things, because this was _happy_. They could be _happy_ , none of it had to happen.

"We met a lot of cool people too!"

 _"But short means little. So you're the little brother."_

 _"I want everything: money, power, you name it, I want it."_

 _"Mr. Alphonse! Did you really come all this way just to see me?"_

 _"Woah, that wall is really tall!"_

Al merely laughed at the expression on his brother's face- the older Elric seemed lost in memories. "Wow, were there really that many people that we met?"

Ed shrugged. "A couple of interesting people in particular. We met some Xingese people too."

"Really, that's cool, what were they like?"

"Well, Lan Fan was a ninja... She was really cool, actually, good to have on your side... Although she was really sloppy if anyone insulted her boss. Oh yeah, she got automail too! She really helped us out in a fight with Gluttony." Ed grinned, and Alhponse's eyes grew wide.

"You fought alongside a ninja? That's so cool!"

* * *

"So what was the Xingese girl like?" Kabuto asked happily. "I want to know about your friends."

"She was small." Scar grunted. "And we weren't really friends."

"You said she was small already." Scar's brother said patiently. "So was she just small for her age or was she young?"

"She was young."

Kabuto smiled. "Then I hope you were nice to her."

Scar merely shrugged, and Kabuto sighed. "Okay, what about your other friends?"

Scar paused. "There was a doctor." Even then, Scar sounded bitter, and Kabuto made a mental note not to push the subject. If it'd upset his brother, he was okay with leaving it for a while. Because he cared, because he hated seeing his brother in pain, and because he hoped talking about the good would somehow take away the bad, at least for a little while.

And that would be enough for him.

* * *

"Trisha, knowing would break you." Hohenheim said softly. His tone, however gentle was firm, and _that_ caused Trisha to lose her temper.

Her sons mattered more than the world to her. And the same should be true for Hohenheim.

"I don't care. Those are our sons, Hohenheim." Trisha said coldly. "I deserve to know. I died. When? Why? How? Who was there for our sons?"

 _"She said 'sorry I couldn't keep my promise. I'm going first.'"_

Hohenheim sighed. "Trisha, honestly, you're better off not-"

"What happened after I died? How young were they?" Trisha asked again, voice raising.

Hohenheim crumpled.

 _"I want to grow old with Trisha and the kids."_ What had that wish been for? He had missed so much, and they'd still failed in the end. So why would he give up on that one wish?

"They were quite young."

Before, Hohenheim had been distant, withdrawn from his family, and that had given Trisha an inkling as to what was coming. It had given her time to accept and understand. Before, both of her boys had been innocent and young and free.

Last time, Trisha had eventually watched for clues and guessed that it must be important, only this time, she suddenly had her hands full with her boys learning alchemy, their new teacher and Edward getting into trouble at school.

This time was different. Hohenheim, vowing not to make the same mistakes as in the past had become closer to his family than he'd ever dreamed he'd have the chance to be. So the caring father not being there for their precious sons... Trisha wasn't so understanding this time.

The idea that he would abandon their sons, even in another timeline was unthinkable.

Trisha's eyebrows rose. "You mean you don't know the exact age?" She yelled, eyes blazing. "Were you there or not?"

* * *

"What happened after I died?" A faint yell echoed into the room, and Ed stopped talking. Al froze and went pale.

"Mum... died?" He whispered, staring at Ed.

"Shit." Ed choked out.

 _"Why couldn't you put me back together, Edward?"_ For a second, he saw red. Red tomatoes oozing over the floorboards. Red blood leaking from his mother's mouth. Red agony from his leg, from his arm, from the thing they transmuted.

"I'm sorry." He whispered, and jerked back to reality as Al put a hand on his shoulder.

"Brother." He whispered, and Ed nodded. Together, they raced towards Hohenheim's study, listening to everything falling apart.

* * *

"No. I had left by that point and didn't return until it was too late." Hohenheim confessed, because he had been many things, a monster, a survivor, a coward, but not a liar. Never a liar.

And he couldn't bring himself to lie to Trisha. He deserved the hatred he'd get. Because he'd failed her. He'd failed their sons. He was a failure. Not a liar.

The two boys peaked around the door as Trisha slapped him.

"Why did you leave?" She whispered, and it sounded like she was trying not to cry. And why wouldn't she cry? He was their father. He had left and she had died and everything had fallen apart.

"He made the counter circle. It saved everyone." Ed blurted, causing both adults to whirl around and stare.

Hohenheim's eyes were wide, because Edward, the son who was _bitter_ , had _hated_ and _blamed_ was defending him.

"No, Edward. I was a failure as a Father. You said as much yourself." Hohenheim's voice was quiet and so full of pain. Not a liar. Never a liar.

There was a long silence after that.

Then Trisha managed a weak smile. "How about you start at the begining, both of you. Then we'll figure this out. Together."

Because their little family, no matter the guilt, the pain and the lies and the truths that hurt far too much, was worth all that much more to each of them.

So sick of all the secrets, sick of all the pain, sick of all the guilt, the father and the son spoke of the future, of metal and blood and pocket watches. They tried telling it like a story, to try and keep the sad ending fictional.

Ed glossed over some things, like the date that had been carved into his pocket watch, like the blood in the snow in that cold, lonely mine, and most of all, he only mentioned that his time in the military meant he had seen some bad things, because Nina spoke enough in his nightmares. Because he still dreamed of Scar's red eyes and the gaping holes in Al's armour. He could still remember Hughes' smile and Gracia's quiet tears.

But Trisha and Al and even Hohenheim, who had been there could guess. They could only imagine what could cause him to wake up screaming.

Hohenheim didn't speak of the lonliness in the long years he spent on the counter circle, or the pain of coming home, finally home, only to find everything gone, like he'd always feared. He didn't need to say anything, because his voice gave everything away.

But through all the pain, all the tears, there was the kind of relief that only came with sharing something. Because Trisha and Alphonse could finally understand why there were all the secrets, all the nightmares, and Ed and Hohenheim felt their burdens become so much lighter.

Because they were a family, and nothing would ever change that.


	12. Chapter 12

Father closed his eyes, welcoming the breif darkness. Ever since he had time travelled, life had become a massive headache.

They'd had to fill in all his other children on the future, and needless to say, it wasn't being received well.

"So how did I die?" Envy asked impatiently. "I get that Lust was killed by the Flame guy, and that Pride was-"

"None of us know, Envy." Pride interrupted coldly. "You disappeared after you attempted to recapture Marcoh."

Envy snorted. "That's a load of crap. Is this exactly how you 'don't know' how Gluttony died?"

"Gluttony wasn't really dead, anyway. And no, I'm _sure I_ don't know how you died." Pride snapped.

Father groaned. "Cease your childish bickering." He ordered. He had dragged Pride with him. He hadn't meant to do that. Who else had he brought back?

And if he had brought anyone else back, what had they done? Had they changed anything? He didn't have enough information. How had his escape brought this about? Now he had so much planning to do, because if they already knew his plans, and he already knew their plans...

It was a whole new playing field, and he didn't have centuries of work to lean on anymore, if they knew. This could ruin _everything_.

"Listen. I need one of you to make a little visit to Reesembool..."

* * *

Trisha smiled down at the two sleeping boys, both with tear tracks marring their cheeks. Everyone had cried once the future had been revealed. There was so much pain, so much suffering.

She could hardly believe that it happened. It sounded so... so horrible. And to think that it happened to her two little boys.

Her two precious little boys. She'd love them, even if they were half metal, full metal, innocent or guilty.

#

Winry has seen right away that Al knew. She had seen the way Ed walked- like some weight had been lifted off those hunched shoulders, and Alphonse looked nervous, of all things. Like he wasn't quite sure if _everything_ would be the same.

Years of watching the Elric brothers, wishing and wishing for a way to relieve their pain had made her realise that while they were good actors (or would grow to be good actors) there were flaws in their armour. Sometines Al would be a little too cheerful, or Ed's hands would shake, and his eyes woulnd't quite light up like his smile.

They were small things, but they made all the difference, at least to her. They helped her understand, help her wait. But no matter what, she never seemed to be able to help them heal, and that was what she really wanted. She wanted to cry for them and for her tears to make a _difference_.

And now, she could tell, thanks to all the little signs that made a difference to her at least, and she _knew._

And she stumbled forwards, vision blurring with tears, to where the two boys were waiting nervously, and pulled them both into a hug, finally managing the words she had been waiting to say for so many long, long years.

"Welcome home."

* * *

"Hey Winry?" Ed asked cautiously, watching the girl as carefully sketched out a circle.

"Yes?" She said without looking up. With a small smile, Ed thought of how she had been hunched over her automail before. Ed had made a copy of Kabuto's notes, and was surprised at how _easy_ it was once he had the basics down.

Kabuto's style of alchemy was a blend of Amestrian alchemy and Alkahestry, and as Ed was already proficient in alchemy, he was catching on quickly, although it was easier for Al and Winry to learn, as they hadn't quite reached the point where they would need to seriously alter anything.

"What are you doing?" He asked, staring at her circle, faintly tracing over some of the runes. "This is..."

Winry managed a short, muffled laugh. "Well, I figured that it would be stupid to let all that training and knowledge to go to waste."

Ed could only stare. "You really are _amazing_." He breathed. The circle wasn't too detailed- Winry didn't have the experience required for much detail yet, especially in Kabuto's style, but she had clearly made the most of what she _had_ learnt.

And it showed, the circle was simply brilliant. Much like the gleaming metal limbs she had poured her heart and soul into. And he wondered how much it must have hurt her, to give even a little piece of that up, her passion, her talent. But she'd reinvented it, and kept moving forwards. Just like she'd made his leg to let him keep moving forwards.

Winry blushed at the unexpected praise. "Thanks." She smiled, and Ed said down next to her, staring over the circle again, and her smile grew just that little bit brighter.

For a moment, both of them stared at her work, then Ed spoke, with a teasing tone that made him sound his age.

"So, can I actually call you a gearhead now?"

She huffed. "Whatever, alchemy-freak."

"Aren't you an alchemy-freak too?" Ed asked innocently, and Winry snorted.

"We can be alchemy freaks together then." She said softly, and Ed beamed.

"You're only starting, remember." He warned teasingly. "It gets worse."

Winry only smirked. "Good."

Then Ed helped her up, and they walked back towards the Elric's residence to fetch Al so they could annoy Izumi into teaching them some more.

They walked together. No more leaving anyone behind, no more waiting. Because the past was so far away, but it still hurt. Because neither of them could stand the thought of leaving the other behind, alone and waiting.

Because they both had a future ahead of them, and they were determined to make it _shine_.

* * *

"Winry, are you okay?" Winry's head jerked up at the seemingly random question, and she stared at her parent's worried faces.

They had gone to Ishval, despite Hohenheim's warnings and Winry's desperate pleas, and that had been the worst month of her new... younger life.

She was terrified, as she watched their backs grow smaller and smaller. Ed had been standing beside her then, offering silent sympathy. She had leaned on his shoulder then, and cried and cried and cried.

Al had been there too, and Izumi, and Hohenheim, and Trisha. Her world seemed slightly less lonely, although the gap where her parents had been still ached, and the thought of another telegram with their deaths on it made her sick.

But then, after only a month, the Rockbells came home. The war hadn't been as bad as Winry remembered, there were less casualties, less injuries, and less of a reason for them to be there.

Maybe it was Hohenheim, who had always seemed so wise and distant, holed up in his study, with his warnings that made them come home when they were ordered to stop. Maybe it was that for the Ishvalans, at least in comparison, things weren't quite so bad.

Or maybe it was the haunting memory of their daughter's sobs as they left that made them come home quicker.

Either way, not only had less Ishvalans died in the war, but one little girl suddenly didn't seem to be about to lose her parents again, and true to a promise made forever ago, she cried tears of joy when she saw them coming home.


	13. Chapter 13

Izumi turned and stared at the woman waiting patiently. "Excuse me?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. "I'm not sure I heard you right."

Trisha merely smiled. "No, you did. I wanted to thank you for looking out for my boys in the future... Or past. I'm glad that they were able to rely on you and Pinako."

Izumi blinked, fighting off memories of gently bandaging the various cuts and scrapes the boys had picked up over training, remembering the warmth she felt when they studied, the small smile when they both beamed at praise.

Then she smiled softly. "So they told you, huh? It was a pleasure to look after them, they were certainly a handful."

Izumi remembered holding them both close, cold and metal, as they apologised again and again and again. Their voices had been so _broken._

Trisha managed a laugh. "I'm sure they were."

Izumi thought of the time that Al had been kidnapped by Greed. How she had stormed into the Devil's Nest, blood boiling.

She nodded, watching Trisha out of the corner of her eye, wondering how much she had been told- and in what detail, then turned away as her child began to cry.

If she felt the Truth frowning at how wrong everything was, she ignored it. After all, this was life now, and she wouldn't trade it for anything.

* * *

"Hey, brother, can you check my circle?" Al asked Ed cheerfully.

Ed shrugged. "Sure, Al, but I, uh, don't know a lot about medical alchemy..." He trailed off, for a moment becoming lost in memories.

 _It was cold... Everything was cold. Every breath burned his lungs, and even the agony exploding in his side had a frosty bite to it. Then he remembered the feeling of transmuting souls, and that numbed the pain. Then he clapped his hands, and his world_ burned _. It hurt, it hurt, it hurt and please, please, let it be over soon..._

 _It felt like he was dying._

Meanwhile, Al frowned. Ed had that distant look on his face that meant he was remembering the future.

"Brother?" Al asked catiously, not quite sure how to help, only knowing that he wanted to, _needed_ to do something. Because if his brother was hurting, then he was hurting too, because they were _brothers_ and they _shared_ , and he'd help, because that was what they'd always done.

Ed snapped back to reality, and laughed nervously, hands subconciously cradling his side. "Sorry, Al, medical alchemy, or alkahesty, or whatever Kabuto's style is called, but whatever it is, it really isn't my thing, but I'll help if I can."

"Okay, thanks." Al chirped. Then he paused. "So, was there no one to treat your wounds after you got into fights in the future then?"

 _It hurt... His soul... Was this how the souls in the Stone felt? He couldn't imagine an existance more painful..._

"Nope, but the hospitals loved me!" Ed laughed. Al frowned.

"Good thing that I'm learning medical alchemy then." He huffed. "Someone has to stop you from getting killed."

Ed merely laughed, swallowing down the bitter memories. It was such an _Al_ thing to say. Some things never changed.

* * *

"Hi Winry!" Ed called cheerfully. Ever since his conversation with Al, his younger brother had practically dived into a pile of books on medical alchemy, and one of the copies of Kabuto's notes that Ed had made.

Ed was so proud of his younger brother, and for Winry for adapting so well. Which brought him to the conversation at hand.

In the future, or past, whenever he needed his automail fixing, he had often brought Winry some earrings to stop her from getting too mad. And he always noticed that she would put them on immediately, though he was never quite sure what to say about it.

Without looking her in the eye, he thrust a small metal necklace into her hands. He had learnt, with the help of Al, that when giving Winry earrings, or anything, plain was better. Since his taste in anything was actually _that_ bad, although he didn't think so.

 _"Please, just change the car back! We're begging you!"_ Ed mentally smirked at the thought of the chimeras, and wondered how they were doing. Hopefully they'd get out of the military soon... or...

Winry stared at the necklace in her hands. It was plain, which was how she preferred her jewelry anyway, and circular in shape. What made it valuable was the cirlce painstakingly carved into it. It was an exact copy of the circle she had been sketching out for months, improving and redesigning until it was just right. And now she had it in an entirely practical way, that no one would question, not even her parents.

Pretty and practical. She flung herself at Ed, and hugged him close. "Thank you." She whispered.

He laughed. "Never thought you'd say that about alchemy, Gearhead."

She merely laughed. "Well, I can be both." She decided, and Ed grinned.

"The future can be anything, remember."

Winry nodded. " _We_ can be anything. We just have to make it happen."

* * *

Hohenheim groaned, staring at the circles in front of him. Medical alchemy wasn't his 'thing' either. It was complicated, and not something he'd ever needed to look into, as his stone had helped him whenever he'd needed it.

"Please, Dad." Alphonse whined, golden eyes glinting with mischeif. "I don't _quite_ understand the circle."

It was, to some degree, painful. In the future, Al had grown to be more mature, had come to be known as the quiter, more sane Elric. Both of his boys had been forced to grow up too soon, one had sold his soul to the military, and the other died far, far too soon. Too soon to have eyes like that.

So, Alphonse behaving exatcly like the child he was, had stopped being once Trisha had died, was a blessing.

"Well, Alphonse, this is actually a very difficult circle." Hohenheim concluded. "I may need to, ah, research a bit before I can explain it.

He ignored the voices of the stone laughing at him. Him, the alchemy expert, being stumped by his son. The son who knew exactly what he was doing and was finding it hillarious.

"Well, I think I understand it now... Want me to explain it to you, dad?" Al chirped innocently. Hohenheim grinned. He was so proud of both his sons! They were becomming closer and closer to surpassing him in alchemy every day.

"Sure, Al. Go ahead."

* * *

"Roy, guess what?" Hughes was practically glowing as he shoved a handful of photographs into his friend's face.

Instead of getting annoyed, as another Roy in another time might have, the Flame Alchemist merely smiled softly as he flicked through them. He stared at the smiling faces. After the memories of both people in the photographs wearing black and crying, seeing them smile again was like the sun after a storm. Seeing them smile like they'd never lost a father and a husband, seeing them smile because he was still whole and alive and breathing, was worth the world.

Having Hughes shove pictures in his face, however, was woth everything, because he finally had his best friend back, and it was like he had never been lowered into a grave, like there had never been a phone booth drenched in his blood, like it had never _rained_.

* * *

Two homunculi slowly approached Reesembool. They hadn't taken the train- that would have been too noticable if their Father's suspicions had been proven correct. Instead they approached by the hills, circling like sharks, like predators out for blood.

The town was sleepy, it was early in the morning, and everything was quiet. It was peaceful and unsuspecting and innocent. It was the _perfect_ time for an ambush.

Apparently, someone else thought so too. They were waiting for the two homunculi.

"Well," One of the creatures sent by Father sneered. "Isn't _this_ a blast from the past."

"Isn't it just." Greed's smile was full of fangs, and his eyes were cold, cold and confident. Behind him, his possessions, his _friends_ , fanned out, ready to follow, to fight, to live. Because he wouldn't let any of them die. Not again. Never again.

In a wide, sweeping gesture, he pointed to the chimeras behind him- both the ones from Dublith and the ones that they had met in the North, in the future, and he smirked. "Some old friends would like some revenge."


	14. Update

**Sorry!**

 **I'm so, so sorry!**

 **I'm willing to bet that an update to this is a surprise for most of you and I'd like to apologise. I never intended to abandon this, but when I finally came back to it, I found that the plot I had intended on using wasn't the best and could certainly be improved.**

 **But I don't want to completely scrap the idea! So instead, I'm hopefully going to completely rewrite this idea. It'll be posted as a new story and this story will either be marked as complete or maybe I'll delete it once the rewrite is posted.**

 **I'm sorry for leaving this hanging for so long, and if you've come this far, I thank you for your patience.**

 **(With any luck, the rewrite will be posted in the next few days)**


	15. Chapter 15

**Well, the rewrite has been posted! It's called 'Until We Get Our Happy Ending' in case any of you were struggling to find it or wanted to be notified?**

 **In any case, I hope you enjoy! :)**


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